


Type Message Here

by ArgentSleeper



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Break Up, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2018-03-19 20:00:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3622404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentSleeper/pseuds/ArgentSleeper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Arthur is an idiot, Merlin is fed up, and their friends really deserve a raise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Type Message Here

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kerryblaze](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kerryblaze/gifts).



> *Click link to inspiration only if you're okay with massive spoilers*
> 
> I wrote this a year ago based on [kerryblaze's art for pornathon 2013](http://summerpornathon.livejournal.com/93758.html?thread=12288574#t12288574), and then I completely forgot to post it! Oops.
> 
> Thanks, kerryblaze, for allowing me to write a fic based on your work! Sorry I'm a loser who can't keep track of my own stuff!

 

 

 

> **From: Arthur  
>  W ned to tlk**

Merlin sighed as he read the message. Why couldn't Arthur just leave him alone? He'd agreed never to contact him again. Okay, so that kind of arrangement hadn't exactly been specifically made, but Merlin thought he had made himself perfectly clear about what he expected. So far they’d been doing well at keeping radio silence.

 

> **From: Merlin  
>  r u drunk?**
> 
> **From: Arthur  
>  no**

That was a yes then. Arthur always wrote his texts like he was talking to the queen. His messages to his father might have actually been accepted as such, beginning with a clear salutation and following perfect letter form. It was very rarely and only when he was extremely tired (or drunk or hungover) that a bit of chat speak or even a missed period snuck in. Merlin tried not to feel too disappointed.

 

> **From: Merlin  
>  Go to sleep.**
> 
> **From: Arthur  
>  im not drnk**
> 
> **From: Merlin  
>  u are too neat and perfect to type like this unless you were. go to sleep.**

There, that should be the end of it. Merlin wasn't in the mood to deal with drunk Arthur right now. Or sober Arthur ever.

 

> **From: Arthur  
>  not dunk i miss u**

_You're not allowed to do that anymore..._

 

* * *

 

 

 

> **From: Arthur  
>  merlin...**
> 
> **From: Arthur  
>  hullo...**
> 
> **From: Arthur  
>  stop ignoring me**

"Hey, Arthur, what are you doing?"

Arthur quickly hid his mobile behind his back as Gwaine and Leon approached. There was no way his friends would approve. "Nothin'."

"Right. Nothing my arse," Gwaine scoffed. He snatched the mobile out of Arthur’s hand (apparently he wasn't that good at hiding things) and frowned at the screen. "Nuh-uh. Nope, you're not doing that. Leave Merlin alone, Arthur. He doesn't deserve to be harassed like this."

Arthur scowled. It wasn't fair that Merlin had gotten all the friends in the divorce.

It had been a mutual break up in that they both -strongly, vehemently, and with many screamed curses- agreed they never wanted to see each other again. It had been less mutual in that the entire thing had been Arthur's fault.

In fact most of their friends -except Lance, who couldn't pick sides if he tried and had agreed to let Arthur crash on his couch- had spent the first week after their separation completely blanking Arthur. Even Morgana, Arthur's own _sister,_ refused to talk to him. But according to Leon, Merlin had found out and put a stop to it. But although that meant he was acceptable company for a night at the club again, it hadn't stopped any of them from _looking_ at him from time to time like he had killed their puppy.

Arthur snatched up his shot from the bar and downed it in one burning go. Then he slapped a hand down to signal his desire for another. Merlin always said his tab limit was higher than God's, and tonight Arthur planned to take full advantage of it.

"Arthur, mate, maybe we should get you home." Leon reached for his arm to lead him away, but Arthur just swatted at him and gulped down the next drink.

"Dun wanna yet."

"Leave him be, Leon," Gwaine sighed, though for once in his life he looked less than thrilled at the prospect of alcohol. "He needs this tonight."

Arthur did need it. He let himself be dragged away from the bar and out to the dance floor, alcohol pounding through his blood with the beat of the music. While he was there, drifting through the press of bodies, he managed to snatch three more shots and half a pint without Leon noticing. The pain had to leave eventually, didn't it? There couldn't possibly be room enough for all this booze and his broken heart.

* * *

 

 

_"How fucking dare you!" Merlin screamed, slamming the door to their flat._

_"Merlin? What's wrong? What happened?"_

_"What happened? You fucking **know** what happened! You- you **paid** them to hire me!"_

_Arthur's confusion turned to a placating smile. "I merely made a strong suggestion that they take a look at your work. You know how the corporate world works. Sometimes it takes a bit of extra... motivation to get someone to even **consider** looking at someone new. I just convinced them to give you a chance. Your work convinced them they did the right thing."_

_"Did you think I couldn't do it on my own? I don't need you to swoop in and save me with your posh trust fund money, Arthur!"_

_"I wasn't trying to-"_

_"What about Bayard Merchandizing? Did you pay them, too?"_

_"He's a friend of my father...”_

_"You never believed in me at all, did you? Well I don't need your money, Arthur Pendragon, and I certainly don't fucking need **you**."_

 

* * *

 

 

"Hey, gorgeous," a hot mouth breathed into his ear, and something long and hard pressed into seat of his jeans. "What do you say-"

Arthur didn't even let him finish, spinning around and latching onto that sweet mouth, fingers gripping hair like a lifeline. Hands wrapped around his waist and dipped under his pants, dug into his arse. Something pinged in the back of his mind that screamed _wrong wrong wrong_ but he was far too gone to pay it any mind. He attacked the mouth in earnest, viciously biting and devouring and taking. His partner was more than happy to let him, giving as good as he got. A finger trailed down Arthur's arse, pressing into his hole dry and fierce. Arthur threw his head back and groaned with pleasure.

" _Merlin..._ "

"Arthur!"

He found himself being ripped away from his groping session, the sudden movement sending him nearly careening to the floor if he hadn't landed in someone else's strong arms. Arthur made to continue his actions with this newcomer, but the arms gently rebuffed him. "Easy there, princess. I think it’s best you keep your hands to yourself right now."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Arthur could dimly hear Leon roaring. Leon was like a lion sometimes. _Leon the lion_ , Arthur giggled helplessly to himself.

"Ain't none of yer fucking business. This is between him and me, and he sure weren't saying no."

"He doesn't even have the capacity to say yes right now, you bastard. Go find someone to fuck who isn't completely shitfaced."

There were more strong arms around him and suddenly the arms were moving him. Arthur didn't have the wherewithal to care what his destination might be, even when the world for some reason tipped and he fell on a squishy surface. Or not so squishy. There was something hard and pointy jabbing his face.

"Leon! Get him off me!"

"One second. Come on, mate, up you get."

Arthur let himself be shoved about some more, but he took the offending pointy thing with him. There was a long pause in time, and he might have blacked out for a bit, and then he was being manhandled out of his clothes and onto a bed. Things went quiet and he decided he must be alone. He pulled out the pointy thing.

Somehow his fingers had turned into sausages throughout the night. The thought made him giggle hysterically, and he poked at the pointy thing with them. The pointy thing burst into life. It was a phone, his phone. Open to messages to Merlin.

"Merl'n..." he moaned, and this time it was filled with distress instead of lust.

He poked with his sausages some more until he could send a text to Merlin.

 

* * *

 

 

 

> **From: Arthur  
>  stillmiss u**

Merlin groaned as his mobile woke him up again. Not that he had really fallen back to a real sleep after he'd tried ignoring Arthur's messages. Which had worked for a while, but now it seemed he was back at it.

Merlin frowned at the latest missive. Arthur was still awake and clearly drunk off his arse to still be messing with him like this. He hoped the man wasn't doing anything else stupid, like dancing in traffic.

 

> **From: Merlin  
>  where are u? is  
>  someone w/u?**

If he had to call Morgana to save Arthur streaking naked through the park, Merlin would never hear the end of it. No, scratch that. Morgana would just pity pout at him through the phone and hang up. He would have to call Lance.

Not that Merlin was _concerned_ about what happened to Arthur. He wasn't. Arthur was a bastard who deserved whatever miseries he heaped upon himself. It didn’t matter to Merlin if he ended up locked up for the rest of his life for indecent exposure. And then mocked for his tiny willy. It would serve him right.

Merlin didn't have to be concerned. That was the perk of being the wronged one in a break up. He got to have all the sympathy hugs and biscuits and to laugh at the wronger's misfortunes, whatever they were.

Except there was that time Arthur stopped him from stumbling off the curb into a bus, and that time he skipped his meeting in Japan because Merlin had the flu and that time he massaged Merlin's cramping hands and made him dinner after his frantic three day painting spree (to replace paintings _Arthur_ had damaged, but regardless).

Merlin had plenty of reasons to wish Arthur humiliated, but try as he might, he couldn’t think of one to wish him dead.

 

> **From: Arthur  
>  knw u sared**

Merlin nearly threw his phone across the room. That fucking-

_It was three days after Merlin threw him out, and Arthur still hadn't collected his things. Merlin finally broke down and called._

_"I boxed everything up for you, and I'll leave the key in the usual place so you can get them while I'm out. I put your mum's ring on top so you could find it easy for next week."_

_"I knew you cared."_

Merlin saw red. He could almost hear that same smarmy, self-assured tone. So sure Merlin would take him back simply because he was Arthur Pendragon, lord of the universe. Never giving in, never apologizing.

 

> **From: Merlin  
>  fuck you, arthur. you're  
>  a fucking arsehole.**

He threw the phone onto his side table. He was so stupid. He should have blocked Arthur's number from the beginning. He should have never answered the first text.

The mobile buzzed again. Merlin picked it up again. Fuck it, he was going to call Morgana. She might not have cared much about her brother’s wellbeing right now, but she cared deeply about Merlin’s. She would be able to get him to stop.

 

> **From: Arthur**  
>  **M, this is Leon. Sorry,**  
>  **mate. Put him to bed.**  
>  **Gwaine took his phone**  
>  **but he must've stolen it**  
>  **back.**

Merlin sighed. There, that was it then. He would have to have a word with Leon and Gwaine about allowing Arthur to drink and text, but once Arthur read this conversation in the sober light of day, he would probably destroy his mobile himself and pretend it never happened.

Because proud, stubborn Arthur Pendragon could never admit to being wrong.

 

* * *

 

 

_Oh shite._

Arthur groaned and smashed his pounding head into his palms, grinding the heels into his eyes. He was such an _idiot_. The words on his mobile glared up at him, screaming his stupidity to the world. Merlin was never going to speak to him again. He’d ruined any chance he’d had to get his love back and he’d barely even been conscious of doing it.

“Ah, good morning, princess!” Gwaine appeared in the doorway holding glass of what Arthur prayed was _not_ vodka.

“Could you lower your voice a bit? My head is killing me.”

Gwaine smiled tightly and slammed the door shut instead. “Nah, I’d rather watch you suffer like you deserve.”

Arthur winced, not only from the physical pain. “I was an arse, I know. Honestly, Merlin probably wasn’t even surprised, not that that helps.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t. You know what would? Apologizing.”

“Gwaine, he doesn’t want to-”

“That’s _all_ he wants, mate.”

Gwaine left much more quietly than he’d entered, abandoning Arthur to his thoughts. He’d apologized to Merlin before. He had, really. Merlin just wouldn’t listen when he tried to explain that he had just wanted to help and honestly it was _because_ he believed in Merlin so much that he’d done whatever he could to ensure he got his big chance and… oh.

Sometimes he wondered if it was actually normal for one person to fuck up so much or if he had some kind of special talent.

He picked up the phone and opened his messages.

 

> **From: Arthur**  
>  **I’m a wanker and I**  
>  **have a horrid hangover**  
>  **but I meant what I said.**

It wasn’t exactly _I’m sorry_ but he wanted to say that part in person. He just hoped he could convince Merlin to give him that chance.

It was the longest ten minutes of his life before his mobile beeped a reply.

 

> **From: Merlin  
>  good**
> 
> **From: Arthur  
>  That I meant what I said? :)**
> 
> **From: Merlin  
>  that you have a hangover**
> 
> **From: Arthur  
>  lol I reckon I deserve that**
> 
> **From: Merlin  
>  and more**

Arthur couldn’t help but huff a relieved laugh. Merlin was teasing him. He was finally teasing him again. Yes, he was clearly still upset, but they were _talking_ , and that was more than he’d ever hoped to have again.

 

* * *

 

 

> **From: Arthur  
>  Can we talk?**

Arthur didn’t reply to his last message for nearly three hours, and Merlin wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or relived. The thing was, anger was… _exhausting_. Merlin was tired of hating. He just wished Arthur would give him a reason not to anymore.

 

> **From: Merlin  
>  what’s left to say?**
> 
> **From: Arthur  
>  I miss you.**
> 
> **From: Arthur  
>  and love you.**

Maybe he had given him a reason. He’d been drunk last night, yes, but in the sober light of day he hadn’t retracted his statement. Arthur missed him. Merlin missed Arthur, too. Missed him more than he’d thought possible. Arthur was infuriating and stubborn and headstrong and noble and generous and… and…

And Merlin loved him more than words could say.

 

> **From: Merlin  
>  you’re an arsehole  
>  wanker**

He couldn’t resist one last jab. The second he saw Arthur again Merlin already knew he was going to fold. And he couldn’t bear to not see Arthur again.

 

> **From: Arthur  
>  Is that a ‘yes’?**

* * *

 

 

 

> **From: Merlin  
>  Y**

 

 


End file.
